Marks of Time
Historic Buildings as  illustrations of the past.
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Fragments in the Modern City

St Columb’s stone is built into a crucifixion scene outside the Long  Tower Church. It is described as  a ‘balaun’ by archaeologists, which is a catch all term for a stone with a human  made indentation in the middle of it. Most were simply used for grinding corn  but this one has two holes reputedly associated with the Saint. It was relocated  from the Bogside in the Nineteenth Century. It certainly has had ceremonial  associations for a very long period.


St Columb’s Well in the  Bogside was  originally one of  three  holy wells near each other, this  is  now marked by a late Victorian pump but as a site it appears to date from   earliest times – perhaps even pre Christian - when some wells were venerated in  their own right. Above it, on  the  slope back up towards the present city walls, one can imagine the sacred  oak  grove that gives the city its name (Derry, or ‘Doire’ in Gaelic, means oak   grove).

St Columb’s Stone is located  in the grounds of Belmont House School, this  stone is also of great antiquity. It  has two feet shaped indentations on a  large flat surface. It was used as an  inauguration stone by the O’Doherty   family in the late Middle Ages and there  is no reason not to presume that  they picked a stone which had far longer
associations.


The early monastery appears to have been located on or near to the  site of the present St   Augustine’s Church within the present city walls. The  Church itself was probably rebuilt and expanded as the site grew in  importance. The current church has undergone many changes. It is a Victorian  rebuild of a Georgian predecessor which was a rebuild of the medieval church. It  is not known if some of its fabric is medieval. However the medieval church was  reportedly aligned differently to avoid the  Oak Trees.

 

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